


Between the Breath of the Storms: The Calming Rain

by sugarcomatosed, Treekianthia



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (Chapter 17), (It's everyone's favorite chapter), Angst, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Missing Scene, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Verdant Wind route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 00:23:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20787521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarcomatosed/pseuds/sugarcomatosed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treekianthia/pseuds/Treekianthia
Summary: The final moments of two people who could never say "I love you". (Paired with "Between the Breath of the Storms: The Distant Thunder)





	Between the Breath of the Storms: The Calming Rain

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Between the Breath of the Storms: The Distant Thunder](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20787503) by [sugarcomatosed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarcomatosed/pseuds/sugarcomatosed), [Treekianthia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treekianthia/pseuds/Treekianthia). 

> The following fic is paired with the "inspired by" fic. Please consider reading both of them!

Gronder field…**  
**

A place that Mercedes knew well. It was filled with years of history, and many battles had been fought on the ground’s rich soil. The area was almost peaceful with its tall trees and river that flowed through, but there was darkness lurking underneath. Soldiers lined up at their leader’s command, waiting for the signal to charge forward. They were ready to lay down their lives.

Five years ago, the three houses of the Officers Academy had met at this historical site to participate in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Mercedes remembered the battle well, and how confident Dimitri had been that they would be victorious. No matter how hard she and her fellow Blue Lions fought, however, they were not fated to win that day. It was the Golden Deer who took victory that year, and their celebration later in the evening was joyous. She still remembered how Claude and a few of his classmates held their teacher up in triumph.

Yet that was then, and this was now.

The three houses had once again come together in the bloodstained field, but this time as the result of a war. It was the Empire who had waged it, and all of Fódlan had been consumed. Mercedes still remembered the fear she felt when the news had reached her, and the horrifying battle that followed. The monastery was lost, and she was forced to retreat back to her home. It was as cold as the hearts of those of the Adrestian Empire.

It was almost the same as it had been back then. Those of the Leicester Alliance stood to the north, and those of the Adrestian Empire stood to the west. Dimitri no longer held the same confidence he once had, but instead was fueled by anger and grief. He was no longer who he used to be; a shell of his former self. He wanted victory not for the good of the people, but for revenge against the women he hated.

For years Mercedes had thought the future King of Faerghus was dead. Word of his execution spread, and she was stricken with grief when it reached her ears. She found comfort in her friend Annette’s arms, and she spoke of the time she spent with the prince.

Her fondest memories of him were those where they sat sewing together in the comfort of her academy dorm room. He would try his best not to break anything, and she would carefully guide his hands through the motions. He would always smile at her and say that her hands were soft, and she’d blush and not know what to say. His smile brought her happiness though, and she always smiled in return. She missed his kindness.

When Mercedes learned Dimitri was alive, she rushed to be by his side once again. What she was greeted with however, was not the noble young prince she had spent her days with, but a man blinded by his own emotions. She was hesitant to follow him in the war, but something inside her did not want to leave him again. She hoped that deep down, the Dimitri she knew was still there, and that somehow, someway, she’d be able to find him. She wanted to save him.

Now, she stood and faced those she once considered her classmates, her friends, because she had followed the future king. She prayed to the Goddess for safety, and faced them with what strength she could muster. The lights of heaven were called down on those who opposed her, and those who sought her aid were quickly healed. She played her part just as she had five years ago, but she refused to let things repeat in the same way. The Kingdom needed to be victorious for Dimitri’s sake.

Alliance and Empire troops were slowly marching forward, and Dimitri was charging at them with full force. Dedue followed behind him, and the two began to clear out their enemies. Mercedes stayed back, taking care of those who managed to pass the front lines, and watched as troops were struck down one by one. Dimitri swung his lance erratically at anyone who came near him, and Dedue took care of those who tried to to strike Dimitri from behind.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted them: her friends who had sided with the Leicester Alliance instead…

Three of them had transferred classes in their academy days, and now they fought alongside Claude and his troops. They struck down the people of their own kingdom, and it hurt Mercedes’ heart to see such a thing. She knew they fought for what they believed in, but it did not stop it from feeling like a betrayal. She wanted to call out to them. She wanted them to come home.

Dimitri charged at them them without hesitation. He screamed at them for abandoning their Kingdom, and swore that they would suffer at his hands. The three of them maneuvered out of the way, but he only continued to go after them. He swung his lance with incredible force, a red glow surrounding the legendary relic. He looked almost as if he were a monster.

As Dimitri fought on, arrows started to rain down. Their former classmates fell back, but Dimitri continued to push forward. A group of imperial troops was in his sight, and he wasn’t going to let them escape his grasp. He cut them down one by one, dodging the arrows as they came, and shouted loudly to those who tried to run. He wanted them to know they had laid down their lives for the wrong person.

Mercedes watched as Dimitri continued to fight those who opposed him. The King of Lions Corps and Dedue followed behind him, but they were slowly becoming outnumbered. Imperial reinforcements were appearing from the western front, and they were pushing the Kingdom troops back. Mercedes braced herself and readied a spell for attack but kept her eyes on Dimitri. If he were to become injured, it was her job to heal him.

Then came the pain, the horrible pain. Her attention so focused on Dimitri, Mercedes had not seen the imperial reinforcements who had appeared from behind. From upon his horse, a knight swung his axe down on her, cutting into her shoulder. Then, with another swing, a large gash was left her in side. 

She collapsed forward onto the ground, blood staining her clothing, and took harsh breaths as the pain consumed her. She reached out her hand, as if she were making one last attempt to escape, and saw Dimitri struggling to fight off the reinforcements in the distance. He was screaming Edelgard’s name as the troops surrounded him...

“Goddess, please… Not yet… Not like this...”

Mercedes closed her eyes, and the world faded away around her. It was not a light she saw, but darkness, and she was falling deeper down within it. The sounds around her became a light humming, until she could no longer hear anything at all. There was nothing, and she was alone. She was going to die alone...

.

..

…

All was quiet when Mercedes opened her eyes. Her pain had numbed, and she could feel the warmth of the blood on her clothes. A cool breeze was blowing, and in the distance, she could see small blazes scattered around. With what strength she could muster, she sat up and placed her hand on her side. The blood was still fresh, but her bleeding seemed to have stopped. She didn’t know what had caused it, but she was still alive.

Scanning the area, she saw the fighting had come to an end. The troops in the east had retreated, and those in the west were no longer battling. She thought that perhaps she could retreat herself, and if any other troops from the Kingdom had survived, she could find and meet up with them. Or perhaps she could receive aid from the Leicester Alliance if they had been victorious; surely if her three friends saw the state she was in, they would want to help her. That was of course, only if they found her.

Slowly but painfully, Mercedes got to her feet. Her balance was off, and she limped when she walked. She shuffled forward, looking at the carnage of war, and all the bodies that had been left. The entire field smelt like death, and her eyes watered from the scent. Now these fields were only stained with more blood.

What had become of Dimitri and Dedue? She couldn’t spot them amongst the ruins, so she hoped that meant they were safe. The last she had seen of them, however, was them being overpowered by imperial troops. The prince had ordered Dedue prior to retreat if anything were to happen to himself, though she wasn’t sure if the vassal would listen. She could only pray they were both unharmed.

Her pain becoming too much, Mercedes stopped herself. She gripped her side tight, taking a deep breath as she tried to wait for it to numb again. Even with her talent in healing magic, these wounds could not be healed with magic alone. She bit her lip to try and distract herself from the pain and held her breath. The pain, however, didn’t seem like it was going to stop.

Looking back to the battlefield, she tried to spot any discarded items that could help her. A vulnerary or two would ease the pain, and it might last long enough for her to retreat. There was nothing though, just lifeless bodies and lost souls to return to the goddess. Paladins, Knights, Mages, and even Bishops like herself… All who gave their lives for...

“...Dimitri!”

Laying a few yards away, limp and lifeless, was the bloodied prince. Fighting the pain, Mercedes limped her way to him, and fell onto her knees when she reached his side. He looked broken, dozens of spear and arrow wounds in his chest and stomach, and was surrounded by a pool of his own blood. He was barely breathing and clinging to consciousness, and his one eye was closed. He opened it to look at her.

“Mer… cedes…?” His voice was faint, but just loud enough she could hear him. He sounded… Surprised, as if he hadn’t expected her to find him. “Is that… You…?”

“It is, Dimitri…” Mercedes said as she grabbed onto his hand and held it up to her cheek. His gloves were cold, and she could tell they were covered in his blood.

“I’m… Glad…” Dimitri managed to choke out before coughing. Blood splattered out of his mouth and onto his armor, and his breathing became raspy as he struggled to breathe. He was in far worse shape than she was.

“I’m glad too, Dimitri…” she told him in response. She placed her other hand on his stomach and tried to use magic to ease his pain. He coughed again.

“Where is… Dedue…?” he asked the woman tending to him. Mercedes did not look him in the eye, and continued to treat his wounds.

“He’s safe, Dimitri…” she told him albeit being unsure. In his current state, she knew it would be better this way. It would be less for him to focus on.

“And… What about you?” Dimitri asked. “Are you… Safe?”

“I’m safe, Dimitri… I’m safe…”

She knew he wasn’t going to survive. She knew. The boy she had met all those years ago had disappeared, and now the man he had become was going to die. None of it was worth the pain and suffering they had been through, but there was no way they could change it. His anger and hatred had won, and now he would succumb to his horrible wounds.

Mercedes didn’t know how she managed to do it, but through of all of her own pain she brought Dimitri to his feet. She supported him on her uninjured shoulder, and slowly helped him forward despite her own limp. Her pain was worsening, but she had to fight through it. She didn’t want Dimitri to die on a battlefield covered in blood, but somewhere he felt safe. She wanted him to die knowing somebody was there with him.

As they walked, there was a rumble of thunder in the distance. A storm was coming, and Mercedes knew they would not make it to safety before it started. She would have to find a place to shelter them from the rain, but there were not many options on the battlefield. The only place she could think of was a grove of trees just beyond where the battle had started. It was a place untouched by the horrors of war.

By the time they reached the trees, the rain had begun. She laid Dimitri down and placed his head in her lap, humming to him as she brushed strands of hair out of his face. He was pale, but still holding on as much as he could. For a moment, he looked like the noble prince she cared so deeply for all this time. The one she had wanted to save.

“Mercedes…” Dimitri whispered as he opened his eye. Placing her other hand on his cheek, Mercedes smiled down at him.

“I’m here, Dimitri…” she said as he looked into his eye. “I’m here for you….”

Weakly, Dimitri placed one of his hands on Mercedes’. “Your hands… Have always been so soft…” he told her. Mercedes’ heart became heavy, but she smiled despite it.

“You always told me that when we sewed together…” she reminded him. She was fighting back tears.

“I enjoyed the time… I spent with you…” he said before making a noise that sounded like a pained laugh. “Even… If I broke everything…”

She tried her best to laugh in return. “You didn’t break everything…” she promised him. He had always been gentle with her, and was always so careful when she guided his hands when sewing.

“This war… It’s kept us apart… For so long… Promise me… When this war is done… That we can enjoy each other’s company again… Just like we used to...” the prince asked of her as he closed his eye again. Mercedes bit her lip but nodded; her tears were starting to flow. She couldn’t hold them back anymore.

“I promise, Dimitri…” she said as the tears streamed down her cheeks. “I promise to never leave you…”

Then, with what little strength he had, Dimitri brought his hand to Mercedes’ cheek. “You know… You look like an angel…” he said before smiling. “All this time… Were you here to save me…?”

“Yes, Dimitri… I’m here to save you…”

...as Dimitri’s hand fell, Mercedes knew it was over. His breathing stopped, and what color remained in his cheeks faded. He was still smiling, and were it not for his wounds, he could have simply been sleeping.

He hadn’t died alone. He had died with her watching over him, just as she had wanted. Even if she had not saved him, she knew that like this, that maybe he wouldn’t die with any regrets.

“Goddess… Thank you…”

Leaning back against the tree, Mercedes felt her own wounds starting to bleed again. The pain continued, and she knew that soon her own time would come. The goddess had answered her prayers, and she could die at peace. Even if her friends were to find her now, it would be too late to save her. Her wounds were far too deep and she had lost too much blood.

And this way, she and Dimitri could be together.

Waiting to succumb to her wounds, Mercedes looked out into the distance. Whoever had won the battle, she did not think they would be celebrating their victory that evening. Lives had been lost, and more battles were to come. That was the way of war. It was as harsh as the lightning striking down with the storm.

As she watched those who remained on the battlefield, Mercedes could make out yet another familiar face: A young woman named Hilda, whom Mercedes had spent some time with in their academy days. Hilda had volunteered her time on multiple occasions to help Mercedes with her workload, and Mercedes had been so glad to find somebody as hardworking as herself. It was a shame they had ended up on different sides of the war. Perhaps they could have been friends.

Hilda did not stand alone either, but by the side of a young gentleman. Mercedes assumed it must have been Claude, whom Hilda had been close to. The Leicester Alliance must have indeed been victorious if they were still here, which meant the weight on the rest of the war was now on their shoulders.

If anybody could end this terrible war, it would be Hilda and Claude, wouldn’t it? Mercedes had never spent much time with Claude, but she knew Hilda was a helpful and kind soul. Together, the two of them would surely bring peace to Fódlan. They weren’t alone in this war, and they had each other to keep the other going. Closing her eyes, Mercedes prayed that was enough for them to claim victory.

“Please… Don’t let our deaths be in vain…”

As Mercedes began to drift away, she listened to the falling rain and quiet thunder. It was peaceful, and for a moment, it felt like there hadn’t been a war at all. It was her and Dimitri, alone in the world. There was no anger or hatred, and they were happy together. It was what Mercedes had truly wanted.

…this time, Mercedes did not feel herself fall into darkness. Instead, she was greeted with a shining light. There, Dimitri waited with his hand outstretched and a smile on his face. She smiled in return, and ran to greet him with her own hand outstretched to meet his. Hand in hand, they could be accepted into the arms of the goddess.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first time posting for the Fire Emblem Series on AO3, but not my first time writing for it. I've been a fan of it for many, many years, but just haven't written a lot that's worthy enough to post here? Really, I only wrote this because my dear friend Sugar suggested we collab together after she completed Gronder Field!
> 
> I... Have not actually played up to Gronder Field in Golden Deer yet (I'm a Blue Lions girl), but when Sugar told me about her experience (I read up on the spoilers because I needed to know what happened to my beloved son Dimitri), we made each other sad.
> 
> And hopefully we made you sad too.
> 
> Also please make sure you read the other part of the story!! That's over and Sugar's page, and covers another side of the war! Together, we call it our "Dark Agenda", and we're very proud of the work we've done!


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